Since it was a schooling show....my guess would be that there were quite a few school horses there. Sometimes with an older school horse, they don't have perfect movement anymore, and could have a stiff joint/leg. They are still "sound" to be ridden and worked....they just might look a little off.

I ride a 19 year old school horse. When we first warm up, I know he looks off....but once we get 20 minutes in, he smooths out. The longer we ride, the better he moves. He just needs time to get everything stretched and warmed up.

I agree with Velvet, but I have also been to some shows where the horses are obviously in pain. The one horse also had a bit of a limp, and was asked to scratch out of all classes... so I do know that if it gets too bad, they might just have to scratch

At a schooling show, it's tough to know where to draw the line. At the other posters have said, older packers and school horses do tend to have mild soundness issues and mechanical lamenesses.

Once, when I was judging, I had the steward hand a note to a trainer telling them not to send a horse back into the ring because of unsoundness. I didn't want to make a big deal of it, since I knew the horse was a useful school horse and part of their lesson program, but I didn't want it to continue to show.

If you feel a horse is truly uncomfortable, not merely stiff or arthritic, report it to a show official.

I agree with the above
We have a thoroughbred mare who fakes lameness all the time(she can't really feel she was uh pinfired? At the race track) and has been asked to scratch and one time the rider was walking her through the pattern and the darn horse limped went slow all the way till the last barrel and then bolted for home.

I spoke with a judge at one of our shows and asked why they didn't excuse lame horses. She said they do not hold medical degrees so therefore it would be considered opinion. They can 'suggest' the participant have a vet look at the horse and then hope the rider takes the hint . . .

i agree with the above
We have a thoroughbred mare who fakes lameness all the time(she can't really feel she was uh pinfired? At the race track) and has been asked to scratch and one time the rider was walking her through the pattern and the darn horse limped went slow all the way till the last barrel and then bolted for home.

Horses do not tend to fake lameness issues. They just do not have the ability to think like that. Too much instinct there that tells them if they limp they get eaten.

Alwaysbehind-she does infact fake it they have had vets out several times and she is prefectly fine she has learned to fake the limp as she only does so at shows and she switches up from all 4s. Also I wasn't sure on the correct term but I am pretty sure she had the feeling removed or something like that to keep her running at the track but im not sure on the correct term im just going by what I was told

Also I wasn't sure on the correct term but I am pretty sure she had the feeling removed or something like that to keep her running at the track but im not sure on the correct term im just going by what I was told

They would most likely be injecting her legs with some sort bute (or pain killer type medicine). To the best of my knowledge, you can not completely remove the feeling, but by injecting them with a pain killer, it blocks the pain. It is still there, they just cannot feel it.... So really it is just a numbing solution. They do not last forever though and will eventually wear off.

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